Surviving a Juice Cleanse

Juice cleanses intrigue me. They seem to offer a lot while flushing out all the toxins. But I've never been good at any type of food denial. Still, I wanted to give it a shot. My first juice cleanse (back in the Spring) I followed an at-home recipe for three days. I bought all the produce and went home and juiced that night. I ended up hating the green juices and the beet juice, and survived on a mere 2-3 juices a day (the plan included 6) and ate a salad at night (it's recommended no consumption of solid foods during the cleanse). I still felt better after doing it, but I was disappointed that I couldn't stick to the plan.

This time around I wanted to leave the juicing to the professionals. PS & Co is a local Philly company that is 100% vegan and gluten-free. Needless to say, I had no trouble standing behind this brand. I tried some of their food and juices before, and they were the best I've ever had. So I signed up for a three day juice cleanse and decided to write down my thoughts throughout the cleanse.

Day 1

I stopped by their store at 17th and Locust on my way to work and picked up my first day of juices. Six in total. I picked two green ones because I wanted to give myself the benefit of the doubt. The total came to $172 and some change. Not bad considering my last juice cleanse cost around $120 when I bought and juiced the produce myself. Plus, these taste better.

I'm already missing the thought of food and starting dreaming of all the delicious dishes I'm going to prepare when I'm finished.

Day 2

Halfway there. I can do this. Man, I really want some Chik Fil A. All I can think about is food. When I'm going to taste it next, how pretty it looks on my co-workers desk, can I sneak some without anyone knowing? This is painful.

At the end of Day 2 I was starving despite having drowned myself in juice. I had an all day photo shoot at work and was on my feet for close to 9 hours. So I ended up ordering some Chinese when I got home. I feel ashamed admitting that (like why couldn't I have chosen a healthier option like an apple with peanut butter or a fresh tossed salad?!), but I was defeated by my own humanity.

Day 3

Finally, the last day of the juice cleanse. I had a lunch meeting at my favorite spot in the city, High Street On Market, and ordered the lentil soup with their grilled cheese. But I juiced the rest of my meals that day. I still consider this a success.

Final Thoughts

Am I happy I did it? I'm happy I'm still alive. Yes it was tough, but I always feel better once I'm done, even if I do end up eating during a cleanse. My stomach feels less bloated and it helped cut down on cravings towards the end. Would I do it again? I probably won't do a juice cleanse the requires no eating. But I would consider juicing during the day and eating a healthy meal at night. That sounds a lot more obtainable to me. 

Have you ever done a juice cleanse? I love a good story. Tell me what worked for you!